Chiropractors are correct when the say that patient education is vital to good patient management. It’s just that the old model of practice management and teaching ignores the science of learning. The new model for patient learning is what we call “Caretactics: Brain–based patient communication.”

Did you know that a war of neurons is being waged inside every one of your patient’s brain every time you interact with them? That war is being won or lost every time you answer a question, provide a strategy or deliver your adjustment. Your ideas about health and wellness and their ideas about health and wellness literally collide on the cellular level.

When I travel I use the Google Maps app on my Droid to help me get to my destination in the fastest way possible. And it helps me make other decision processes easier. Are there points of interest along the way? How about restaurants or health spas? Are there alternatives routes that are more scenic? These maps include frighteningly accurate satellite images, route instructions and estimated travel times. While I take it for granted, I can imagine that the networking of this information was years in development and that hundreds of billions of pieces of information contributed to the data base. And I trust that the instructions and suggestions are accurate or else I would drive off the edge of the planet. So now all I have to do is type in my destination, where I am located and it makes my decision process easier and my travel enjoyable.

Your patients have an app inside their brains and it helps them make their decisions about their health and wellness. It helps them find the fastest route out of pain and suffering so that they can get on with their overloaded lives. It helps them find other points of interest. They need the decision process made easier and in times of stress will rely on this “app” or brain map to guide them.

I think we can agree that most of our patients have a default program running. Their map is loaded with bits of data and imaging that is inaccurate. The media and the pharma industrial complex have included their faulty mindset about health care into this default program. This “allo-pathetic” health map is taking too many people to the wrong destination really fast.

Here’s what science says about learning and memory. Most of our moment-to-moment experiences pass rapidly into oblivion. But a tiny few are encoded in the brain as memories. The primary purpose of memory is to provide information to guide our actions in the present – decision making.

Neuroscientists use the phrase “mosaic memory model” to describe how these pieces of data get stored throughout our cortex and in turn form a brain map. And because of it’s plasticity the brain literally forms new maps or reinforces those in existence. This ‘competitive plasticity’ occurs at the synaptic level and is either increased or decreased depending upon the patient’s attention or motivation and upon your ability to make your ideas memorable.

While most of us have been taught that conversation is about imparting information—it’s not. Patient dialogue is in a real sense, behavior and emotional management. If you don’t manage the daily interactions the information you deliver is lost, never to return – them or the idea.

That’s why understanding the role of context is so extremely important. It’s not what you say, it’s what they hear. It’s not what you say, it’s what they remember. Because memory, it turns out, is often more a reconstruction than a reproduction.

Patient education is vital to good patient management. The battle is not patient against doctor it is the competition between brain maps. Learn a new teaching model and embrace the science of learning. People need you and your message. So upgrade your delivery and you can thrive in this new health care market.

“What do you call a child who reads two books a year? Slow.
What do you call an adult who reads two books a year? Normal.” -Andy Andrews

One thing is clear, no one is born a success or a failure. We learn to be successful or we learn to be failures. What are you learning to be?

Extraordinary people, those who get the results they want, learn to think and act differently than normal people, those who don’t like to read or don’t have time to read.

It’s perfectly clear, a vital part of anyone’s strategy for learning to be a success is reading. How many books should you read in a year? That depends on your sense of urgency and whether or not normal is acceptable to you. I read or listen to a book or more a week and have done so ever since I decided that mediocrity was no longer an option. Once I realized that there were no shortcuts to success and that success preferred a prepared mind, I got busy.

This summer think outside the barbecue. Take charge of HOW your brain is going to change in the next 90 days. A perfect book to get you on track is “Bounce” by Matthew Syed. The author does a great job of highlighting important research into the science of success by showing real world examples and compelling stories. Follow our clients on DC Mentors Forum to see how this book is shaping their future.

And when the boys of summer are gone, join us at Lake Tahoe for BrainSpa™. It will surpass your expectations and help you close the gap between where you are and where you want to be.

Your brain changes itself, moment to moment, day to day, week to week, month by month through the process known as neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is the changing of neurons, the organization of their networks, and their function via new experiences. New experiences include the conversation you have with the authors of the books you read, the seminars you attend and the counsel you seek.

Neuroplasticity is neutral. It can be your hope and solution for a better life or it can define your struggle. It’s really up to you. You can program your mind and learn success with thought provocative seminars and non-fiction books.

Researchers like K. Anders Ericsson have discovered that it only takes 10,000 hours of training to become an expert and to achieve success in any field. That means you have a chance if you want it bad enough.

Yet not all training is effective. The training must be purposeful,unbiased feedback must be provided and it must be challenging. So my friends here it is:

1. Putting in mindless hours won’t do a thing to create the synaptogenesis of success. Eight hours in your clinic translates into maybe 30 minutes of focused training unless you know what to look for.

2. Asking for unbiased feedback from people who tell you what you need to hear, not want you want to hear, guarantees growth. Thinking you can accurately rate your own performance is delusional, biased feedback and wasted effort. No one grows in a vacuum. No one.

3. Practicing on the easy things and avoiding areas you need to work on doesn’t count. Success is outside your next level of comfort. You’ll need to stretch to grow.

There is hope when there is a real plan. This is what you can look forward to. An affluent chiropractor:
• Enjoys healthy, vibrant relationships with family and friends
• Is purpose driven on a scale few understand
• Has an economic life that is secure and provides an extraordinary lifestyle
• Is free of “working in their practice” and can afford to “work on their life”

We want you to achieve affluence. It is your destiny. You can make it happen.

“Whether we like it or not, our lives will leave a mark on the universe. Each person’s birth makes ripples that expand in our social environments: parents, siblings, relatives and friends are affected by us and as we grow up our actions leave a myriad of consequences, some intended most not”.
- Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Read that quote again. It is deep (pun intended). Now imagine just for a moment that you are standing on the shore of Lake Tahoe with me. It’s perfectly clear today and the water is cobalt blue. I hand you a smooth, perfectly weighted stone and you throw it as far as you can. Can you see the ripples? Can you see them grow in the distance? I think that is what Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is talking about in the above quote. You are the stone thrower, you have power and all of your actions have impact. Some intended, others not.

I was looking at some of my “notes to self” the other day and I came across this quote from Michael Gerber.

“Every business is a family business.”

Do you get how profound this perspective is? Your passion, your career aspirations and your reaction to the wins and challenges you face in business have a ripple effect on those in your circle and beyond it. You’ve probably noticed that many Chiropractors use the phrase, “Family Wellness” in the name of their business. As a coach it makes me ask the question, “Whose family?”
Did you know that as a business owner you have stakeholders who have a vested financial, emotional and, on some level, a spiritual connection to your success? It’s easy to see that your spouse and children are inextricably tethered to your results but what about your staff and their families and your patients? Your staff is interested in how your business fulfills them as human beings. The people who work alongside you want to grow and thrive and they want economic certainty. They want to know if your business will be around five years from today even if you are not. Your patients want to know if your practice will be there, ready to respond when they need you, not just when you are in the mood or it’s convenient for you. They want security that their experience will be remarkable and consistent. There are other family stakeholders. What about the banker who loaned you the money to start your practice and the vendors you buy from and yes even the coaches you hire?

You see, what you do has meaning to others. It affects them. This practice is not about you. Do you get that? Good. Now go to work.

Neck pain can be caused by poor posture or a trauma such as an automobile accident. When neck pain persists or recurs it is important to improve the fitness of your neck. Stress and emotional tension will intensify the symptoms associated with neck pain. One of the most consistent findings in neck pain and headache sufferers is a reduction in endurance of the deep muscles of the front of the neck. Poor posture such as with your chin jutting out is an example of weakness of these deep muscles combined with increased tension in the superficial neck musculature.

It is always a good idea to see a doctor who is trained in providing care for musculoskeletal disorders such as a chiropractor, physical therapist, or orthopedist. Most patients do not require surgery and can be helped by a conservative care program. A recent study showed that chronic neck pain patients benefit more from a combination of simple exercises and spinal manipulation from a chiropractor than from either exercise or manipulation alone.

Even your neck muscles need to be stretched and strengthened. Here are some exercises to combat stiffness and prevent problems in the future. Do each five times twice a day. Do the first three exercises for two weeks before starting the rest.

One approach to improving ourselves and our practices is to ask some tough questions. You could start by examining the professional clinical side of your practice first. Where do you look for answers? Look to your professional network. Ask your colleagues about the latest chiropractic seminars. Ask them for recommendations on books and conferences. Take courses to update your hands-on skills and techniques. Join panel discussions to share ideas and new developments. Do research on the Web for the latest techniques and follow up with practice.  Ask questions and get feed back from other chiropractors.

Set a deadline or take as much time as you can afford to incorporate the new knowledge into your practice. You may even find that you have made some new discoveries of your own. Be sure to share them with others in your network so they can be tested and confirmed for the good of your discipline.

Once your clinical skills are in place, you can focus on improving the business of your business. This includes the day to day management of your office and staff and your client customer service plan. Let your staff know that you will be reviewing office procedures and ask for input. Can you streamline billing procedures? Do you need a part-time person to do customer outreach? Are your forms up to date? Are there staff concerns that you haven’t dealt with? Be honest and give everyone the opportunity to voice their opinion. It’s a critical step in improving the way your practice is run.

The next area you may want to focus on is client customer service. No matter how smoothly this is going, you will find that there are always new ideas that you can put into practice. Even if you get great returns on your advertising efforts, you may not be increasing your client base at the rate you had hoped.

By devoting a small amount of extra time to each client, you may realize large improvements in customer satisfaction and come closer to meeting their often unspoken needs.

Set a goal to get feed back from every patient. This can be a simple chat at the end of an appointment or a small inquiry card the client can take and fill out at home. By giving your client a voice, you are strengthening your relationship and assuring you will always make the right impression. Review office procedures for handling questions, complaints and objections. After all, the most important part of your practice is helping people to feel better.Another important element of growing your chiropractic practice is to develop effective communication skills for all of your staff.

As a chiropractor you have several things that all need to be done. You need to focus on your patient, while communicating with your secretaries, and with the recent increase in people looking for natural and holistic medicines this will not be easy. When your patient numbers increases the stress will build so why not designate tasks to others with in your practice, and instead of going room to room to find some one and tell them what you need done, just sit at the computer in the room you are in, log on to your project management software and send the task over to them. New and improved means of office management are being made available to help face these challenges. Along with chiropractic training, project management software is a great way to help your practice grow. Some of the benefits of using this software include:

• Easy set-up and even easier to understand.
• Data is stored on a dedicated firewalled server.
• The software is internet based and offers you the flexibility to access it anywhere at any time.
• There’s no hardware for you to set up.

You can even make big decisions in a partnership while your partner is away, since the majority of the software is internet based. This means that no matter where your partner is they got the message.

DC Mentors helps Chiropractors improve there practices and illuminate their path for effective leadership. They make available the best in chiropractic seminars, chiropractic management solutions, and powerful training tools.

Project Management Certification is one step toward building an efficient team and a positive relationship with your professionals. Professionals should always look to increase their abilities, but should start with some basics such as:

• specialized education
• desire to learn and adapt
• moral and professional code of Ethics.

Your team should not stop learning after they have graduated from school. Instead they should search out ways to learn new techniques. One way to do this is to attend Chiropractic seminars . This could be as an individual, but should rather be as a company so that you can point out any areas that should be examined specifically.

Attending a Chiropractic seminar as a company will help in another way. All of your employees will be forced to spend time outside of work together. This will begin to create a bond between your employees, which can lead to better performance. A happy, friendly work place is usually a more productive work place.

DC Mentors’ coaching, management systems, and training seminars will help accelerate your chiropractic practice’s growth. They have lots of experience in chiropractic practice management solutions, offering the best training tools.

Lie on your stomach. Raise one leg from the floor and return it to the floor. Repeat these steps for a count of ten. Do the same with the other leg.

Strong abdominal muscles protect your back! While lying flat on your back slowly raise your shoulders off the ground while keeping your chin tucked. Touch your fingertips to your knees and hold for the count of five. This is a modified sit-up.

Next hug your knees to your chest and at the same time bring your chin to your chest. Repeat twice, holding for 15 seconds each.

Lie on your back on a flat surface. Your feet are flat on the surface and your knees are bent. Keep your legs together Cross your arms over your chest. Tilt your pelvis then slowly lift your buttocks off the floor as far as possible without straining.

Maintain this position for 5 seconds.

When finished, lie flat on your back and stretch your arms above your head. Release and relax for a minute. Whatever you do don’t think about your boss. Leave the stress from work at work.